Photo: Drowzy at English Wikipedia · Public domainAmong U.S. towns with similar household incomes, Cape Girardeau is healthier than 62%
Cape Girardeau trails Missouri on 5 of 32 measures CDC estimates, and leads on none.
Modeled estimates for adults 18+, CDC’s own estimate for Cape Girardeau. How CDC estimates town health
What stands out about health in Cape Girardeau
Cape Girardeau looks healthier next to Missouri than next to the country
It’s healthier than 55% of the 247 Missouri towns we grade, but 35% of towns nationwide. Much of Missouri scores low on these measures. Health Grade ↓
Making ends meet is harder in Cape Girardeau
1 in 6 adults worry about having enough food (17.4%), vs 13.7% across Missouri. No reliable transportation (11.1% vs 8.4%) and utility shut-off threats (11% vs 9%) are higher too. 15.3% of adults receive SNAP, vs 10.8% statewide. Everyday needs ↓
Cape Girardeau is healthier than its income would predict
Against all U.S. towns, Cape Girardeau is healthier than 35%. Against the 7,628 towns with similar household incomes ($42K–$70K), it’s healthier than 62%. Health Grade ↓
Written from the CDC, Medicare and HRSA data on this page. CDC PLACES 2025 release: modeled estimates for adults, not counts; “higher” and “lower” mean the Missouri figure falls outside Cape Girardeau’s likely range; at the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from D to B.
What’s behind Cape Girardeau’s grade
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Cape Girardeau is healthier than 35% of U.S. towns, #111 of 247 in Missouri. Diabetes holds the grade up (fewer adults with diabetes than 59% of U.S. towns); mental distress pulls it down (better than 12%).
Health estimates follow income closely across the country: towns with higher household incomes usually score higher (a correlation of 0.77 across 21,157 graded towns). Cape Girardeau’s median household income is $55,658; among the 7,628 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($42K–$70K), it’s healthier than 62%, more than its income alone would suggest.
Few Missouri towns score lower on these estimates than towns elsewhere, so within the state Cape Girardeau is healthier than 55% of graded towns, against 35% nationally.
Making ends meet
Needs that shape health as much as any doctor visit: food, housing, utilities and a way to get around.
15.3% of Cape Girardeau adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 10.8% across Missouri.
Out of every 100 Cape Girardeau adults…
On every condition, Cape Girardeau is about the same as Missouri. Tap one to see it as people.
Care in and near Cape Girardeau
2 hospitals and 1 community health center in Cape Girardeau, plus the nearest just outside it.
Hospitals: Medicare overall star ratings, 1–5. Community health centers charge on a sliding scale by income. Distances are straight-line from the center of Cape Girardeau; ≈ marks a hospital located by its town, not its street. Shortage areas: HRSA Health Professional Shortage Areas (a “population” designation covers specific residents, such as those with low incomes).
Everyday habits, side by side with Missouri
Share of adults, with the Missouri figure marked.
24 miles of trails across 25 parks and preserves
Keeping up with care
Share of Cape Girardeau adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks Missouri.
How Cape Girardeau adults are doing
About the same as Missouri on each measure.
1 in 3 Cape Girardeau adults feel lonely. A hello is a start.
Groups are the easiest way in: a walking group, a book club, your street.
If you or someone you know is struggling, call or text 988, the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. It’s free, confidential and open 24/7.
Cape Girardeau and the towns around it
Cape Girardeau’s Health Grade ranks 2nd of 3 graded towns around it.
Health next door
| Town | Health | Obesity | Diabetes | Smoking | Figures from |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cape Girardeau | C | 35.5% | 11.5% | 15.8% | CDC place |
| Jackson | B+ | 33.4% | 10.3% | 13.8% | CDC place |
| Scott City | C− | 37.6% | 12.6% | 20.5% | CDC place |
Same-state neighbors only, ordered by length of shared border.
Living with a disability
Shown without a better/worse judgment.
of Cape Girardeau adults live with a disability (Missouri 36.2%). Thinking or memory is the most common.
Every CDC estimate for Cape Girardeau
Share of adults, 40 measures, with CDC’s likely range.
On the 32 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, Cape Girardeau is better than Missouri on 0 and worse on 5; on the rest, the Missouri figure falls inside Cape Girardeau’s likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.
| Adults who… | Cape Girardeau | MO | U.S. | vs MO |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall health | ||||
| Fair or poor health | 22.2%19.7–24.9 | 20.5% | 19.4% | About the same |
| Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month) | 14.5%12.9–16.3 | 14.2% | 13% | About the same |
| Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month) | 19.6%17.5–21.7 | 17.5% | 15.9% | About the same |
| Conditions | ||||
| Obesity | 35.5%29.3–41.8 | 36.6% | 32.9% | About the same |
| Diabetes | 11.5%10–13.1 | 12.1% | 12% | About the same |
| High blood pressure | 35.2%31.4–38.8 | 36.5% | 34.4% | About the same |
| High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years) | 34.9%31.2–38.6 | 37.5% | 37.1% | About the same |
| Arthritis | 26.6%23.7–29.5 | 28.8% | 25.3% | About the same |
| Asthma | 11.1%9.8–12.4 | 10.6% | 9.9% | About the same |
| Cancer, other than skin cancer | 7.9%7.2–8.6 | 8.6% | 7.9% | About the same |
| Coronary heart disease | 6.6%5.9–7.3 | 6.8% | 6.4% | About the same |
| COPD | 8.2%7.4–9.1 | 8% | 6.3% | About the same |
| Stroke | 3.6%3.3–3.9 | 3.6% | 3.4% | About the same |
| Lost all teeth (ages 65+) | 15.5%12.9–18.4 | 15.8% | 12.3% | About the same |
| Habits | ||||
| Smoke cigarettes | 15.8%13.8–17.9 | 16% | 11.8% | About the same |
| No exercise outside work | 30.5%26.4–34.8 | 28.8% | 24.7% | About the same |
| Binge drinking | 16.1%13.3–18.9 | 16.3% | 15.4% | About the same |
| Sleep under 7 hours | 38.4%32.5–44.6 | 36.5% | 36% | About the same |
| Checkups and coverage | ||||
| No health insurance (ages 18–64) | 9.5%8.1–10.9 | 8.7% | 11% | About the same |
| Checkup in the past year | 78.3%74.6–81.3 | 78.4% | 77.4% | About the same |
| Dentist visit in the past year | 55.2%51.5–58.7 | 60.4% | 63.2% | Worse |
| Cholesterol check in 5 years | 80.3%78.1–82.4 | 84.5% | 87.1% | Worse |
| Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure) | 75.4%72.8–77.7 | 77.2% | 76.5% | About the same |
| Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75) | 65.3%60.6–69.8 | 64% | 65.5% | About the same |
| Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74) | 74.6%67.2–81.2 | 74.7% | 76.4% | About the same |
| Mind and connection | ||||
| Ever told they have depression | 25.3%21.7–28.8 | 24.3% | 20.6% | About the same |
| Feel lonely | 33.3%28.6–38 | 31.7% | 32.5% | About the same |
| Lack social and emotional support | 19.3%16.4–22.4 | 20.1% | 23.6% | About the same |
| Everyday needs | ||||
| Worried about having enough food | 17.4%15.1–19.9 | 13.7% | 15% | Worse |
| Worried about keeping housing | 14%12.1–15.9 | 12.1% | 12% | About the same |
| Threatened with a utility shut-off | 11%9.7–12.5 | 9% | 7.6% | Worse |
| Lack reliable transportation | 11.1%9.7–12.4 | 8.4% | 7.9% | Worse |
| Received SNAP (food stamps) | 15.3%13.3–17.3 | 10.8% | 11.6% | Higher |
| Disability | ||||
| Any disability | 38.3%34.1–42.5 | 36.2% | 30.1% | About the same |
| Difficulty walking or climbing stairs | 16%14.1–18 | 15.8% | 13.6% | About the same |
| Difficulty concentrating or remembering | 19.7%17.7–21.7 | 17.2% | 13.9% | Higher |
| Hearing difficulty | 8.4%7.5–9.3 | 8.3% | 6.7% | About the same |
| Vision difficulty | 6%5.5–6.6 | 5.1% | 5.4% | Higher |
| Difficulty doing errands alone | 11%9.9–12.2 | 9.2% | 7.9% | Higher |
| Difficulty dressing or bathing | 4.3%3.9–4.7 | 3.9% | 3.8% | About the same |
Each figure is the share of adults 18+ unless the label says otherwise; small numbers after it are CDC’s likely range (95% interval). “About the same” means the Missouri figure falls inside that range.
Questions about health in Cape Girardeau
Is Cape Girardeau a healthy place to live?
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Cape Girardeau is healthier than 35% of U.S. towns: ≈ C for health, #111 of 247 in Missouri. These are modeled estimates of who lives there, not a measure of local care or habits alone.
What is the obesity rate in Cape Girardeau?
CDC estimates 35.5% of adults have obesity, likely between 29.3% and 41.8%, against 36.6% across Missouri and 32.9% nationally.
What hospital is closest to Cape Girardeau?
Mercy Hospital Southeast in Cape Girardeau, 0.9 miles in a straight line from Cape Girardeau’s center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; Medicare rates it 2 of 5 stars.
How many people in Cape Girardeau have no health insurance?
CDC estimates 9.5% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 8.1–10.9%), against 8.7% across Missouri.
How accurate are these numbers?
They’re modeled estimates: CDC applies national survey answers to each area’s age, sex, race and education mix, so they describe who lives in Cape Girardeau more than anything measured there. At the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from D to B.
Neighbors talk health
Doctors taking patients, urgent care, staying active in Cape Girardeau.
Health estimates: CDC PLACES: Local Data for Better Health, 2025 release. The Missouri figure combines its counties, weighted by adult population. Hospitals and star ratings: Medicare Care Compare (CMS). Health centers and shortage areas: HRSA. The Health Grade is our own summary of CDC’s estimates, not an official rating. Ages: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey. Town boundaries: U.S. Census Bureau. This page isn’t medical advice. In an emergency, call 911.